The field of the present device and method relates to spring-loaded animal traps, and more particularly, to catch release mechanism for a spring-loaded animal trap, such as a mouse trap, animal trap, or the like.
With standard mouse traps, also known as snap traps or spring-loaded arm bar mouse traps, the catch serves two primary purposes, to restrain the holding arm bar when the trap is set and to hold the bait. In order for the trap to activate, the rodent must apply sufficient force on the catch through the eating or manipulation of the attached bait to cause the catch to release the holding arm bar. It is too often the case that the mouse can gently eat the bait without activating the trap. Thus, when later checked, the trap may still be set, yet the catch cleaned of the bait. What is needed is a trap that senses more than just direct pressure on the catch and accounts for other movements or applications of force applied on other portions of the trap.